Thrawn 3

"THE RISE OF THE GRAND ADMIRAL" CONTINUES! Thrawn is rapidly ascending through the Imperial ranks, but he's not alone in his ambition. Enter Arihnda Pryce, who is also navigating the treacherous political landscape of Coruscant. Their paths intertwine as they uncover a sinister secret lurking within the Empire…

Arihnda Pryce, an assistant to Lothal's Senator Domus Renking, is at an Ascension Week celebration held at the luxurious Alisandre Hotel on Coruscant, along with her companions Juahir Madras and Driller MarDapp. While Juahir and Driller are in high spirits, Pryce remains resentful about the loss of her family's mine on Lothal that occurred two years prior.

A flashback reveals Governor Ryder Azadi's aide, Arik Uvis, attempting to persuade Pryce to sell the Governor an additional 21 percent of her family's mining enterprise, Pryce Mining, in exchange for protection from competitors. Given that Uvis already possesses 30 percent of the company, Pryce realizes this would grant Governor Azadi a controlling interest. She declines Uvis' proposition and demands his departure, prompting Uvis to swear vengeance.

Days later, Pryce learns from her distressed father, Talmoor, that her mother, Elainye Pryce, has been unjustly arrested on fabricated charges of embezzlement. Pryce seeks assistance from Senator Renking, who claims he cannot overturn the charge. As Azadi plots to seize Pryce Mining, Renking persuades Pryce to transfer her family's company to the Galactic Empire. Faced with a difficult choice, Pryce decides to sell her family's company to the Empire in return for a position at one of Renking's citizen assistance offices on Coruscant.

Returning to the present timeline, Driller spots Senior Lieutenant Thrawn amidst a group of human Imperial officers, mistakenly identifying him as a Pantoran with an eye ailment. Senator Renking introduces Pryce to Colonel Wullf Yularen, Ensign Eli Vanto, and Thrawn, describing him as a rising star within the Imperial Navy. Senator Renking highlights Thrawn's success in capturing a pirate vessel and securing a tibanna gas shipment during the Dromedar hijacking. Thrawn downplays his accomplishments, acknowledging Vanto's contributions. Colonel Yularen explains his role in helping Thrawn gain allies to counter those who disapprove of his methods.

Senator Renking tasks Pryce with delivering a white and blue datacard to Moff Ghadi. Moff Ghadi allows Pryce entry into his lavish quarters. While the Moff's datapad processes the datacard, Ghadi offers her access to his liquor collection. Pryce declines, opting to examine his art collection. Ghadi soon returns with the datacard, informing Pryce she can return it to Renking.

However, Pryce notices that the datacard has been switched, now displaying a white and orange color. Unable to deceive Pryce, Ghadi resorts to blackmail, coercing her into returning the altered datacard to Renking by spraying her with the illegal drug polstine spice, which carries a severe prison sentence. He threatens to report her to authorities if she refuses, leaving Pryce with no choice but to comply.

As a consequence of the falsified datacard, Senator Renking faces allegations of financial and corporate misconduct. Due to funding cuts, Renking shuts down several of his outlying citizen assistance offices, laying off numerous staff members, including Pryce. In private, Renking criticizes Pryce for allowing Ghadi to blackmail her. Pryce retorts that Renking exploited her. Renking dismisses her naivety, stating that trust is nonexistent in politics.

Six months later, Pryce secures employment at the Proam Avenue Citizen Assistance. Driller and Juahir invite Pryce to dine at a high-end Coruscant restaurant called the Pinnacle. Juahir has found work as a martial arts instructor, training bodyguards at the Yinchom Dojo. Driller is managing the Higher Skies Advocacy Group and informs Juahir that he seeks a mining expert. Pryce accepts the job offer, aiming for a career in politics and residing at Juahir's apartment.

Pryce also commences martial arts training at the Yinchom Dojo, tutored by Ottlis Dos, one of Juahir's most skilled students. One day, the dojo receives a visit from Captain Thrawn, Colonel Yularen, Ensign Vanto, and two officers from the Imperial Security Bureau. Juahir introduces herself to Thrawn, who recalls their initial encounter at the Alisandre Hotel. Colonel Yularen is present to assess the dojo's credentials, owned by the Togorian H'sishi.

Under the guise of training for a potential urban combat unit, Thrawn requests to spar with H'sishi. Thrawn defeats H'sishi, earning each other's respect. H'sishi admires the Chiss' martial arts prowess, while Thrawn seeks to learn Togorian martial arts. Before Thrawn departs, Pryce informs him that she is employed by an advocacy group called Higher Skies. Thrawn assures her he will maintain contact.

Later, Ottlis Dos invites Pryce to a training session at his employer's office. However, Ottlis is employed as Moff Ghadi's bodyguard and leads her into a trap. Possessing a superior grasp of political maneuvering, Pryce capitalizes on Ghadi's animosity towards Senator Renking by expressing her own dislike for her former employer. She informs Ghadi that Renking orchestrated the Imperial takeover of her family's mining company.

Impressed by Pryce's political acumen, Ghadi demands to know who hired Higher Skies to undermine him. Ghadi complains that his confidential financial information was compromised, and one of his mines was attacked by raiders after a Higher Skies employee visited him. Ghadi suspects Renking or another Moff, such as his rival Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. Threatening to falsely accuse her of stealing confidential files, Ghadi recruits Pryce as a double agent to spy on Higher Skies, copying their files and conversations.

To evade Moff Ghadi's machinations, Pryce secretly meets with a disguised Thrawn at Gilroy Plaza Diner. She reveals that Ghadi is blackmailing her to spy on Higher Skies. Pryce discloses that she investigated one of Ghadi's mines and discovered he was selling doonium on the black market. Thrawn advises Pryce to retain the information until the opportune moment to relay it to Colonel Yularen.

Seeking to cultivate Thrawn as an ally, Pryce offers to assist Ensign Vanto in securing his overdue promotion and expedite the repairs to the Thunder Wasp. Thrawn accepts Pryce's assistance and advises her to exploit Ghadi's fears and enemies.

Following Thrawn's advice, Pryce arranges a meeting with Grand Moff Tarkin, posing as a representative of Higher Skies. She reveals that Higher Skies has been utilizing a thief program to steal information from government officials and suggests that Higher Skiers are a rebel front group. Pryce discloses that she has been working as a double agent for Thrawn and Colonel Yularen, employing a double-layer thief program.

Pryce informs Tarkin that Thrawn's sole request in return for her assistance was a long-overdue promotion for his aide, Vanto. Pryce reveals that Moff Ghadi has been obstructing Vanto's promotion. Pryce also presents a recording demonstrating Ghadi's conspiracy to steal Higher Skies' information on Tarkin to undermine another high-ranking government official.

Tarkin expresses gratitude to Pryce for exposing Higher Skies and eliminating his political adversary, Ghadi. He inquires about her desired compensation. Pryce requests the Governorship of Lothal to humiliate Governor Azadi and Senator Renking for causing her family to lose their home and mining business. She offers Tarkin valuable information on Lothal's resources for the Empire. Tarkin accepts Pryce's assistance and request but suggests that some might perceive trading her homeworld as a betrayal. Pryce responds that she is demonstrating loyalty to her "new homeworld."

Seeking to settle scores with Juahir for "betraying" her, Pryce personally accompanies Colonel Yularen and the ISB during Juahir Madras' arrest at Yinchom Dojo. Juahir had been using her position as a martial arts instructor to recruit bodyguards to spy on their employers. Pryce asks Juahir if she was ever a friend or just a tool for her. A distraught Juahir reiterates that she was a friend and that she had joined Driller's espionage operation after Senator Renking had fired Pryce, believing the system to be corrupt.

Pryce does not fully accept Juahir's explanation and still believes that Juahir tried to use her. When Juahir pleads for help in return for their friendship, Pryce tells Juahir to cooperate with Colonel Yularen in return for escaping execution. Pryce says that she is on the road to power and hints that she can pull some strings to secure Juahir's release in a few years. As a final jab at Juahir, Pryce tells her that she should have chosen her friends better.

• UPC 759606088409; April 11 , 2018 ; Marvel Comics [1] 00311; Cover A; Paul Renaud 00321; Cover B; Rahzzah